Some Highlights of the Foundation:
- CYDFI Philippines is founded on August 21, 2000 and is a tax-exempt nonprofit
corporation registered at SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in the
Philippines on 16 August 2002 with a mission statement "to empower indigent but
deserving talented youth living in abject poverty found in Philippine rural areas like
Barrio Calantas and Nabuclod Aeta Community located in Floridablanca, Pampanga
through a Scholarship Program Model with a methodology called SWREM Theory
In Action that is designed to help them help themselves so they can help incoming
scholars leading to breaking their cycle of poverty as they learn to become socially
responsible with implications, not only to personal but community growth and
development; and, to promote replication advocacy of said model in other
communities beginning with Benedicto, another barrio in Floridablanca.
The threefold objectives of the Foundation:
- To facilitate much-needed material resources to benefit indigent but talented
young minds from Calantas and Nabuclod graduating from the elementary
school to finish their high school, college and if possible, graduate school
education;
- To break the cycle of poverty by helping youth help himself and in turn,
expect him to help incoming scholars, as well;
- To generate personal and community growth and development by challenging
SWREM Theory In Action, thus promoting social responsibility among the
youth in Bo. Calantas and Nabuclod Negrito (Aeta) Community, and to
promote replication advocacy of this pioneer model to other communities
CYDFI Program and Services
- The main activity of the Foundation is providing Scholarship Program
to indigent but deserving talented youth in the Philippine rural
communities such as Calantas and Nabuclod Aeta Community.
- The scholars are selected from among the top five (5) honor
graduating 6th grade students from Calantas Elementary School
and eventually, from among the top three (3) of the 6th grade Aeta
students in Nabuclod.
- Scholarship Program has three phases:
Phase 1: High School Scholarship Grant
Phase 2: Phase 2: College Scholarship Grant
Phase 3: Graduate School Scholarship Grant.
SWREM Theory In Action: A Methodology
The methodology of the Foundation to carry out its mission is called
SWREM Theory In Action which is designed:
- to establish a mechanism to predict and articulate the success
of the Scholarship Program generated from the "spiral with
ripple effect motion" of the model;
- to empower youth become self-empowered so they can be
more productive and socially responsible members of society
leading to breaking their cycle of poverty
- to enable the Foundation become a self-sustainable institution
as its "graduates" begin to pour in their energies into fulfilling
their commitment: a contract for them to help, too, in return;
and tap community resources to support the scholars
- to positively impact not only youth's personal but community
growth and development in Calantas and Nabuclod Aeta
Community.
- Prior to 2000, Antonio M. Mendoza, Founder and Enabler of CYDFI, has been
personally helping indigent but deserving youth since 1975 being able to send
seven (7) youth through college (some of whom are involved in the operation of the
Foundation) with his meager income as a teacher. During school breaks, he finds
himself very involved on community organization and development among the
Nabuclod Aetas and other Aeta communities. He, being from a poor farming family,
was initially able to go to first year high school with help coming from individuals
whose hearts were supportive and magnanimous to share of what little and meager
resources they have. This makes a big difference and has taken a deep root in his
heart to share and give something back to community by helping, too, in return.
- The establishment of Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. provides
legitimacy to sustain the Founder's personal crusade without expecting anything
in return but to feel good about knowing that he contributes to the growth and
development of youth in the Philippines, especially in Calantas and Nabuclod, and
continue to advocate for replication of the Scholarship Program Model in other
communities. If this were a choice, he has made one that is of "other-centered" by
helping indigent but deserving talented youth in Calantas and Nabuclod through
education. He believes that poverty should not be a hindrance for someone to
climb the ladder of success in life with necessary help from individuals whose
magnanimity is shared to those who need it most without any string attached.
- As an integral part of the mission of the Foundation, the Scholarship Program Model
is being replicated in other rural communities beginning with Barrio Benedicto in
Floridablanca, Pampanga.
- The Founders, together with some Calantas Folks residing in the Northern and
Southern California, are currently working on the registration of CYDFI Philippines in
California, named as proposed: CYDFI USA with threefold objectives. One of them
is "to provide support on the mission of the CYDFI Philippines in helping to break
the cycle of poverty in the Philippine rural communities like Calantas and Nabuclod
through a Scholarship Program Model.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
- . With a deep concern on how to help address the issue of poverty in the Philippine
rural communities such as Barrio Calantas and among the indigenous Aeta people in
Nabuclod, CYDFI Founder established Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc.
on August 21, 2000, in response to the ideals, aspirations and dreams in life of youth
living in abject poverty without claiming to solve the issue of poverty but only to
invite us to think of "what and how we can join and participate in breaking the cycle
of poverty in our midst". One doesn't need to be materially blessed to do this but be
sensitive and creative enough to join others, like the CYDFI, in mind and spirit and
translate that into action by empowering youth become socially responsible and
productive members of society.
- Philosophy: Man, in his search for meaning in life, has to develop his potentiality to
the fullest so that he could enjoy the very essence of his existence; and only then,
he could become fully human capable of transcending the realities of his life,
enabling him to become socially responsible.
- Vision: Towards a Community Growth and Development in Bo. Calantas and
Nabuclod Aeta (Negrito) Community in Floridablanca, Pampanga and the CYDFI
Scholarship Program Model through the Principles of SWREM Theory: A Social
Responsibility".
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